whiplash

noun

whip·​lash ˈ(h)wip-ˌlash How to pronounce whiplash (audio)
1
: the lash of a whip
2
: something resembling a blow from a whip
the whiplash of fearR. S. Banay
3
: injury resulting from a sudden sharp whipping movement of the neck and head (as of a person in a vehicle that is struck from the rear by another vehicle)

Examples of whiplash in a Sentence

He got whiplash when his car was rear-ended.
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Within that whiplash is supposed to be some truth about the human experience and our fluid definition of America, but Untamed so shallowly presents the National Parks that the series never really draws you in enough to care about either the splendor or the menace. Roxana Hadadi, Vulture, 17 July 2025 The millions of Americans with student loans, who have already experienced whiplash in federal policy since the pandemic, must again brace for change. Anne Marie D. Lee, CBS News, 11 July 2025 Genest said Newsom’s sudden reversal on the in-office order, just a week before it was set to take effect, created unnecessary whiplash for departments that were scrambling to prepare enough office space to accommodate returning employees. Calmatters, Mercury News, 10 July 2025 Advocates for the protection of America’s most popular wilderness area are experiencing whiplash this week, as the Trump Administration and its supporters in Congress continue to chip away at the current protections surrounding the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness. Dac Collins, Outdoor Life, 12 June 2025 See All Example Sentences for whiplash

Word History

First Known Use

circa 1580, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of whiplash was circa 1580

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Cite this Entry

“Whiplash.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/whiplash. Accessed 24 Jul. 2025.

Kids Definition

whiplash

noun
whip·​lash -ˌlash How to pronounce whiplash (audio)
1
: the lash of a whip
2
: injury resulting from a sudden sharp jerking movement of the head and neck (as of a person in a car that is struck from behind by another car)

Medical Definition

whiplash

noun
whip·​lash ˈhwip-ˌlash, ˈwip- How to pronounce whiplash (audio)
: injury resulting from a sudden sharp whipping movement of the neck and head (as of a person in a vehicle that is struck head-on or from the rear by another vehicle)

More from Merriam-Webster on whiplash

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